Crucible support



Dec. 10, 1940. R Q YORK Y 2,224,805

CRUCIBLE SUPPORT Filed Deo. 1e, 1938 v Patented Dec. 10, 1940 PATENTOFFICE 2,224,805 cRUorLE SUPPORT Raymond D. York, University, Va.,-assignor to Raymond D. York, as trustee Application December 16, 1938.Serial No. 246,235

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a Crucible support and more particularly to asupport which will facilitate the handling of a Crucible in carrying itto and from the furnace.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a mechanism whichis particularly Convenient and eicient for use in engaging andsupporting a Crucible during that time in which the Crucible is beingycarried to and from a furnace.

A further object is `to provide a device which, in addition to providinga simple `and efficient means for manually removing a Crucible from afurnace, will also readily permit the pouring of the molten metal fromthe Crucible after its removal from the furnace.

A further object is to provideasupporting structure carrying novelarticle gripping members which are relatively movable toward and awayfrom each other, whereby an article positioned between said grippingmembers may be clamped therebetween and supported thereby.

A further object is to provide a supporting structure carrying a pair ofarticle gripping members, one of which is rigidly secured tothesupporting structure and the other of which is movyable with respectthereto into engagement with an article positioned between the gripping.members, whereby the article will be clamped betweenl and supported byboth of the gripping members.

A further object is to provide va supporting structure having a pair ofgripping members carried thereby, together withresilient means forpreventing relative movement of rsaid members away from each other tomaintain them in clamped engagement with an article.

A further object is to provide a supporting structure Carrying a pair ofgripping members respectively fixed and movable with respect thereto,and to provide resilient means for moving the movable member toward andmaintaining it in clamped engagement with an article arranged betweensaid gripping members.

Other objects and ladvantages off the invention will become apparentduring the Course of the following description.

1n the drawing I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In thisshowing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the mechanism in operativeengagement with a Crucible located in a furnace,k

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure l,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure l,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 'of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a'perspective View of a part of the mechanism.

Referring to Figure l, the numeral Ii] indi- I" Cates a furnace having aCrucible supported therein on a pedestal |2. The numeral I3 indicatesthe mechanism as a Whole by which the Crucible Il may Ibe'manuallytransported, the mechanism I3 being shown in operative positionk for theremofval of the Crucible from the furnace. The mechanism I3 comprises asupporting structure I4 having spaced parallel bars I5 and I6, rigidlyfastened to transverse plates I'I and I8 located at opposite endsthereof. The plates I1 and |8 depend a substantial distance below thebars I5 and I6 and each is provided with a pair of handles I9 securedadjacent the lower edge thereof. f

Gripping members 2|) and 2| are provided and have gripping surfaceswhich are engageable with the surface of the Crucible ll forsupportingthe same. A pair of brackets 22 and 23 are respectively secured to thebars I5 and IB and cooperate therewith to support the gripping member20. Likewise, a pair of brackets 24 and 25 are respectively secured tothe members I5 and I8 respectively and these brackets support thegripping member 2|'.

The gripping member 2li is rigidly secured to 'the supporting structureI4 by two fastening members 26 and 21 as best shown in Figure 3. The.gripping member 2| is lpivotally supported with respect to thesupporting structure I4 by a pivot pin 28 extending through. the lowerends of the brackets 24 and 25 as shown in Figure 4. A resilient bar 29is secured at one end to the upper end y30 of the member 2| and is usedas a lever arm for forcibly moving the member 2| about its pivot 28toward Ithe gripping member 20 to securely `clamp the gripping membersagainst a Crucible arranged therebetween.

Plates 3| and 32 are secured to and project upwardly I'above the 4barsI5 and I'respectively and are located in such av position that the bar29 will occupy a position `between the piates 3| and 3?. when thegripping members 2li and 2| are in engagement with a Crucible. The plate32 has a plurality of openings 33 formed therein which are respectivelyin alignment with similar openings 34 formed in the plate 3|. With thegripping members 20 and 2| in clamping engagement with the Crucible andthe member 29 posimay be passed through aligned openings 33 and 34 inthe plates 32 and 3|, respectively, above the bar 29 to lock the latterin operative position. The bar 29, Kbeing resilient, will be sprungdownwardly by the application of force after initial engagement of thegripping member 2| with the Crucible II and it will be obvious that theresilience of the member 29, tending to restore it to the position shownin dotted lines in Figure 1, will be prevented from swinging upwardly bythe locking pin 35 thereby holding the member 2| in tight engagementwith the Crucible II.

The gripping surfaces of the members 29 and 2| are shaped to conform tothe Crucible to be engaged and supported thereby and diierent sizes maybe provided for different sized crucibles. In order that the grippingsurfaces of the members 29 and 2| will be properly positioned withrespect to the sides of the Crucible, it is desira-ble to provideadjustable means for positioning the gripping members 20 and 2| withrespect to the Crucible. This is accomplished by an adjustable platemember 36 which is engageable with the top of the Crucible II. The plate36 is provided with upright members 38 and 39 carried thereby which areslidable in guides 40 and 4I secured by suitable fastening devices tothe bars I5 yand I6. Set screws 42 and 43 are provided for adjustablypositioning the members 38 and 39 in the guides 49 and 4| in order thatthe plate 36 will be properly positioned with respect to the grippingmembers 29 and 2|. A similar arrangement for positioning the ygrippingmembers with respect to the top of the Crucible is shown in my copendingapplication filed September 27, 1938, Serial No. 232,005.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The members 38 and 39 are adjusted to place the plate 36 at a properposition relative to the 40 gripping members 2D and 2| in order that thegripping members will be placed at a proper position with respect to theside of the Crucible to engage thereagainst, The mechanism I3 is thenlowered until the plate 36 contacts the upper edge 45 of the CrucibleII. The mechanism I3 is placed in a position with the immovable grippingmember 20 in engagement with one side of the Crucible II, whereupon themovable gripping member 2| is moved about its pivot 28 toward and intoen- 50 gagement with the other side of the Crucible. A downward pressureis applied to the free end of the resilient member 29 to force thegripping member 2| into tight engagement with the side of the Crucible.Such downward pressure will Cause a 55 deformation of the resilientmember 29 from the dotted line position to the solid line position inFigure 1. The locking pin 35 is then inserted through a pair of alignedopenings 33 and 34, in

the members 32 and 3| respectively, immediately 60 above the resilientmember or lever 29. The locking pin 35 will retain the member 29 initsdeformed position and the Crucible II will thereby be securelyclamped between the Crucible gripping members 29 and 2 I.

The Crucible I I may then be removed from the furnace by operators whowill grasp the handles I9 and lift the mechanism I3 and thereby removethe Crucible II from the furnace.

A decided advantage is secured by having the 70 handles I9 located asshown in Figure 1. By having the handles located in a common planesubstantially lower than the supporting frame I4, such plane may belocated just above the center of gravity of the combined mechanism I3and 75 Crucible II. This arrangement will enable the operators to tiltthe Crucible supported by the mechanism I3 to pour molten metaltherefrom with a minimum of effort. In order to tilt the Crucible topour metal therefrom, it will only be necessary for the operators toapply slightly more force to the handles located at one side of theparallel members I5 and I6 than is applied to the handles I9 located atthe other side thereof.

When it is desired to release the Crucible from the mechanism, it merelyis necessary for an operator to exert a downward force on the free endof the bar 29 to relieve the pressure thereof from the pin 35. This pinthen may be easily withdrawn, whereupon the bar 29 is free to moveupwardly to release the gripping member 2| from the Crucible. Thus themechanism will be free to be moved upwardly wholly out of engagementwith the Crucible.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a simpleand inexpensive apparatus for removing a Crucible Containing moltenmetal from a furnace. In addition to providing mechanism which greatlysimplies the removal of a Crucible from a furnace, I have also providedmechanism which will enable the metal to be poured from the Cruciblewith a minimum of effort.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit-of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

I Claim:

1. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a supportingstructure, a rigid stationary Crucible gripping device fixed thereto, arigid movable Crucible gripping device carried by said supportingstructure, means including a resilient member formed as a handleengageable by the hand of the operator for moving said movable grippingdevice toward said stationary gripping device to resiliently clamp aCrucible therebetween, and locking means arranged to form a directpositive connection between said last named means and said supportingstructure for holding said movable gripping device in Crucible-engagingposition, said resilient member being arranged between said lockingmeans and said movable gripping device.

2. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a supportingstructure, a rigid stationary Crucible gripping device xed thereto, arigid movable Crucible gripping device, pivoted to said supportingstructure, means including a resilient member for moving said movablegripping device toward said stationary gripping device to resilientlyclamp a Crucible therebetween, and means connected to said supportingstructure and directly engaging said resilient member to hold the latterunder tension and clamp said movable gripping device against thearticle.

3. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a supportingframe, a rigid Crucible gripping device rigidly secured to said frame, asecond rigid Crucible gripping device pivoted to said frame, a resilientmember connected to said second gripping device for moving it intoengagement with an article arranged between said gripping devices, andmeans Carried -by said supporting frame and transversely movable withrespect thereto to engage said resilient member for preventing movementof 'said second gripping device out of engagement with said Crucible.

4. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a rigidsupporting structure, a rigid gripping device carried thereby, a secondrigid gripping device pivoted on a xed axis to said supportingstructure, and an operating handle for said second named gripping devicecomprising a resilient bar connected to said second named grippingdevice and extending a substantial distance therefrom to provide a freeend engageable by the hand of the operator. v

5. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a rigidsupportin-g structure, a rigid gripping device carried thereby, a secondrigid gripping device pivoted on a fixed axis to said supportingstructure, an operating handle for said second named gripping devicecomprising a resilient bar arranged adjacent said supporting structure,and means carried by said supporting structure and engageable With saidbar to maintain it under tension for resiliently holdin-g said grippingdevices in resilient clamping engagement with a Crucible therebetween.

6. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a rigidsupporting structure, a rigid gripping deviceA carried thereby, a secondrigid gripping device pivoted to said supporting structure, an operatinghandle for said second named gripping device comprising a resilient bararranged adjacent said supporting structure, stationary means carried bysaid support adjacent said bar, and detachable means Carried by said ingtherefrom, one of said gripping devices being fixed to said support andthe other being pivoted on a xed axis thereto, and a resilient barconnected at one end to said second named gripping device above saidsupport and forming an operating handle therefor. l

8. In mechanism for engaging and supporting a Crucible, a rigidhorizontal elongated support, a pair of respectively rigid grippingdevices depending therefrom, one of said gripping devices being xed tosaid support and the other being pivoted on a fixed axis thereto, aresilient bar connected at one end to said second named gripping deviceabove said support and forming an operating handle therefor, and means`carried by said support thereabove and engageable with said baradjacent tne free end thereof for holding it under tension said rails,means for pivoting the other jaw member to said rails for swingingmovement on a horizontal axis, an operating handle for said pivoted

